Camel Cricket Control: How to Get Rid of Camel Crickets

This page is an expert guide on getting rid of Camel Crickets using the products and methods suggested by our experienced pest control specialists. Follow this guide and use the recommended products and we guarantee you will be successful in eliminating Camel Crickets.

Camel Crickets are a pest known by many names—cave crickets, spider crickets, or sprickets just to name a few. No matter what they are called, they can be an irritating presence in homes they invade. While they are not a harmful threat to people, once inside a home, they can damage clothing, upholstery, and fabrics due to their chewing habits.

Camel Crickets look similar to your average cricket but they do not produce the typical noisy chirping that is often heard nor does it have wings to fly. Instead, one of their key characteristics is leaping when they feel threatened. Camel Crickets are occasional invaders and may venture into a home when the temperatures drop or there is very dry weather and they are looking for moisture.

If you are dealing with an infestation of Camel Crickets, your fabrics and clothing may be at risk. Read on to learn more about this pest and how to get rid of them using our four-phase process.

Identification

Camel crickets resemble spiders at first glance because of their six long spider-like legs that are larger than their body. This is why they have been nicknamed spider crickets or sprickets. They have beige and brown-colored bodies and range between a half an inch to 1.5 inches in body length. They have a hump-back appearance which is how they got their name.

Even though Camel Crickets belong to the cricket family, they lack that signature noise crickets are known for. Camel crickets, do not harm humans directly because they don’t bite and neither do they carry diseases. However, they are known to leave behind droppings which can cause stains on floors and walls and are an attractive food source for rodents.

Inspection

Before you apply control products for Camel Crickets, you need to first know where they are located so you can treat the right spots.

Where To Inspect

Camel Crickets prefer areas where there is excess moisture. When outdoors, scan for the pest in around yard debris, leaf litter, mulch, soil beds, under potted plants, and other damp areas. When inspecting indoors, look in your basement, garage, crawlspaces and anywhere moisture develops.

What To Look For

Camel Crickets are found where moisture is so you need to scan areas that are moist or damp. Look for them in those moist areas of your home which we mentioned. You should also keep a lookout for damage to fabrics like curtains and clothing since they like to chew on them. If you don't see the Camel Crickets themselves, observe to see if there are any Camel Cricket droppings left behind.

Treatment

Once you have confirmed Camel Cricket activity it is time to begin treatment. We recommend an indoor/outdoor treatment with Supreme IT. Supreme IT should be broadcast on your yard and home perimeter while indoors you can apply insect traps and D-Fense Dust in crawl spaces.

Remember to first read all product labels and follow the application instructions on these labels, and stay safe by wearing personal protective equipment.

Step 1 -Use Supreme IT Outdoors

Outdoors, we recommend using Supreme IT. Supreme IT Insecticide will be used to go over the lawn and to create an insecticidal barrier around your property to repel and prevent Camel Crickets from coming inside. The best thing about Supreme IT is that it will keep working for up to 3 months.

Calculate the square footage of your yard by measuring and multiplying length x width to help you determine how much Supreme IT you will need. 1 ounce of Supreme IT with a gallon of water in a pump sprayer will treat 1,000 square feet. Once the appropriate amount is mixed in your sprayer, create a perimeter barrier around your structure by spraying 3 feet up and 3 feet out from the foundation. Also spray window frames, door frames, eaves, soffits, and electrical/plumbing penetrations.

Next, do a broadcast treatment. This means spray the Supreme IT all over your yard where you suspect Camel Crickets have been active. Start at the back of your lawn and make your way to the front going over all the areas and using a fan spray nozzle setting to ensure you have good coverage.

Step 2 - Apply D-Fense Dust Indoors

D-Fense Dust is a great insecticide product for treating Camel Crickets because it is moisture-resistant making it ideal for application in areas where Camel Crickets are gathering. It will also leave a residual (or long-term effects) that will last for up to 8 months. 

To use D-Fense Dust you will need a handheld duster. Fill the duster halfway with D-Fense Dust, and leave plenty of space for the air to circulate. Apply in the cracks and crevices where you have noticed Camel Crickets. This places could be in voids where plumbing penetrates walls, along baseboards, in weep holes, if you have a brick home.

Step 3 - Place Traps Around The Home

For any straggler Camel Crickets that are on the loose in your home, you can capture them with the help of the Solutions Pro Glue Board. This board comes in increments of 12 so you can get excellent coverage of all those areas where Camel Crickets are active. Simply peel the protective paper and place the traps in crawl spaces, basements, corners and more. You can even fold the traps into a little shelter to attract Camel Crickets to try to use it as a hiding spot.

Monitor the traps and if Camel Crickets have been caught you can then easily dispose of the trap and the cricket.

Prevention

After the Camel Cricket infestation is eliminated, you don't want them making a return. While a preventative treatment of Supreme IT around the exterior perimeter of your home is recommended every three months to keep Camel Crickets away, there are other preventative measures you can take to reduce the likelihood of a re-infestation.

Ventilating your home

Use dehumidifiers and fans to reduce moisture from your home keep your house moisture-free. Use proper insulation and roof protection system to prevent the rain from coming in and making your home moist and well heated. If air will be circulated properly the springtails will not enter your home.

Address Moisture Issues

Make sure all your faucets, water lines, drain pipes are leak-free and there is no room in your house that remains constantly damp, and wet, especially the basement.

Declutter Your Home and Yard

You need to make your house clutter-free. Too many unused, undusted books and other furniture fascinate crickets and other insects and give them a perfect place for hiding and breeding. Outdoors, reduce leaf litter, keep woodpiles away from your home, and try to keep your yard overall as neat and dry as possible.

Key Takeaways

• Camel Crickets are not a harmful insect but they are known to enter homes during the winter in search of shelter and moisture.
• We recommend using a combination of D-Fense dust indoors and Solutions Pro Glue Board while outdoors apply a broadcast treatment and perimeter barrier of Supreme IT Insecticide.
• A quarterly preventative treatment of Supreme IT can keep Camel Crickets away permanently or you can use a number of IPM methods to take away conducive conditions that attract Camel Crickets to your home.